Pork holding and splitting device



s Sheets-shet 1 A.28, i923.y

c. FLICK,

PORK, HOLDING AND SPLITTING DEVICE Filed May 22. 1922 #mtl outh llllll Aug. 28, 1923.

C. FLICK PORK HOLDING AND SPLITTING DVICE' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22 Patatas Aug. 2s, i923.

ears

i CLARENCE FLICK, OIE EAST ST. LOUS, ILLINOS, ASSIGNOR T SWIFT & COMPAN'Y,

or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION or ILLINOIS.

PORK HOLDNG AND SPLITTING DEVICE. Y

To aZZ whom t may concern l Be it knovvn that I, CLARENCE FLICK, aV

citizen of the United States of America., and

' a resident of East St. Louis, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement' in Pork Holding and Splitting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

Thisl invention relates to methods and means for handling andcutting or splitting the dressed carcasses of hogs and other animals, or sides thereof, as may be required in connection with certain operations in butchering and packing establishments, and especially to means for holding and splitting sides of pork as in separating the fat' back from the bacon or `belly part of the side.

The main objects of the invention are vto provide means of the lcharacter stated adapted to save labor and to enhance the appearance of the product; 'to provide for cutting a straightedge on the belly and fat back, instead of the curved cut as usually made by hand; to provide automatic `rmeans to flatten out the liank of the belly'so as to facilitate the Work of the trimmer; tolprovideV a -Y machine of improved form and method of use, adapted for power operation, subject to manual control, for lholding the side, especially of' pork,r and for splitting the fat middle part of the back avvay from the rest vof the side; to provide such a machine adapted to hold the belly part while the Vspare rib part is removedyto provideV means of this character havingl a downwardly viseY part adapted to press firmly upon and securely grip the carcass side as the knife descends in the cutting operation; to provide fluidrpressure means, preferably pneumatic, for operating and controlling such a device; and to provide such a machine adapted for ready operation and control by a single operative.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying dra-vvings in which: Y

Fig. 1 is a plan of the machine Ivitht-he fluid pressure pipe connections broken away and with the Water bOX removed and its position indicated by dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the machine as viewed from the right or near side of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end vievv of the 'machine as viewed from the right of Fig. 2.

or bacon part, the shoulder and ham having Fig.v V4l is al plan `of aside of the dressed carcassr as it appears when laid upon the table of the machine ready for splitting; f

In the construction shown in they drawings the machine comprises a frame 1 'supporting C a thick Wooden table part 2 adapted to re ceive '.the side to be cut,` an upright head frame 3, on Which is mounted al fluid operated pneumatic cylinder and operating pis:-

ton mechanism 4, and on Which` is also mounted a vertically operating knife 5, as

will be more Vfully explained. l

The table to-p 2 receives Vthe-pork side 6 to be cut, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig.

1. Here, the side to be split and trimmed includes the fat'back, spare-ribs, and belly been previously removed.

Thev knife 5 Vis provided lvvith a short spur blade 7 for trimming the hamfend ofithe fat back, as thesp-litting'knife vdescends, so as to make a neat and uniform product.

The lmife 5 andbranch 7 operate vertically to enter corresponding grooves 8 and 9 respectively in'the table block 2. In order to provide for this operation, one end of the knife 5 is secured rigidlyv to the lupper end ofthe piston Vrod 10, Whichl is v'subj ect to the cylinder and piston means 4. The opposite end of knife- 5v travels inor upon a guiderll.

The uprights 3 of the head'frame 3 serve to steady and guide the .piston end off the knife. `v lSaid head frame also supports a hot Water box 12 in which the operator maydip his trimming knife, or leave the latter vvhen not in immediate use, to keep it in good Working condition. Y

In order tohold the remainder of the side securely for further trimming after the fat back has been split off, the main moving member o-f the machine includes a vise lpla-te or clamping member 13, disposed horizontally beside the knife 5 and adjacent to the upper part'thereof, so as to engage the belly portion until the clamp is released for restoring the knife 5 and member 13. to their.

vvertical shaft 16 which in turn is connected by arm 17, link 18 and arm 19 to the Huid* v power control valve 20 on the lower part of ,with .the cylinder '22 through Vthe pipes Q3,

24:, 25, 26 and 27, whereby the piston actuated rod l0 is movedhnp and downtooperate the splitting and trimming'knife 547.

The operation of the device is .as follows: The operator, facing the' machine (see Fig.

1 V),places the carcass siles= oneagt a time in position siibstantiallyas (shown, as they Vare ifed ontoZ-tliegtablev-Q from the left of ,the opnewton Vlienthe side .is` properly positioned', that -is tosay, with the egitrashortzrib :under the knife 'so the fat-black will beciitofl' leavingtheproper scribe7 on the bellyythe @pewter 'pulls the heeel@ 1&4, thus Lumine .Viewed Fig. l. fillhisgrieleaees the A.air M11' der the `piston andadmits air under pressure Vbe trimmed .regidil aboye, .thereby forcing the knife ,ST7 clown u pon theside. vThis, snlitsjoil the atdiacli and trims .the end thereof and gevers Qtheirextra short ,ribY the ignite reaehejs its loyve1most position ,tliegclamp vor vise plate "13 engages the underlying hamorfflank ,end ,oi the belly :or ,beton cpart Jivlijich then A y iby hand .es it -iS clamped tightly 'against `the table. Y

lVVhen the side is 4held Athus .the :attendant linserts his ydraw ,knife 'and `readily Irem'o'ves @the Spare rib from thebelly l'Lillie operator then pushes the handle'gli back, thereby ,tnrning .the lever 19 clockwise and revensing :the valve Q'Oand caiising air to lifttlieknife y.and vise member. The .side =pants .are then disposed of to the operators right.

. 4 n n r`Ehen the neigt side is lhandled 11n the 'same way,

andso on. Y

-iRegf/erringto Fig. 4 which shows'agdlfessed Y pork side thelseyeral v.parts ,are indicated ,by

numerals as follojveizthe `fat 'back )28, the

belly 29, the spare rib part 30 and the `loin 3l, lhe loin jmay vvell .be .removed `-`before the `side reachesthis machine. v A

Thismmachine obviates the need of a man to split eXtras; Aitmales astraightercut on the-belly .fa-t beek insteidkof the curvedcut generally made by hand; Vand it v flattensbut the .flank of the belly, thereby saving time forthe trimmer. The straight ciitmm'ade by `the jifnachine knife also saves some belly meat that would otherwise go into trimmings. Y y Y .1,11 Order e-tO ,insure :the best `nesii'flts ,the

v:sides t are first chilled before treating ,Qn i the said machine! Although but ,one embediment of ,means for @maine ,out this @mennen ,hesfgbe'en herenh0m1and deSCribed, Sie be .un- ,deStQQd that meensffoff modi editor-.m 'may V'be ,used and ,that @me the ",Steis abolire deelibed `be altered er omitted andv power aetujated kniete ,arranged to C lzve awaythefat baclagnda vise alaptedltogholl the belly or bacon Epharft `seciiijely for trimming, Sia-id YSe .ifbeing Substeetellyf-irt ,tary with said Alin-vite and being movable therewith.

Snenedeat ,Sit LQilS thsalethuflev lei May 111922. v ,-QLelENJfl FLICK.

Sides t0 be treeted, in @Ombneten' with `a 

